Creating a turbo manifold isn’t THAT hard but creating one that doesn’t fall to pieces in harsh motorsport conditions is a different story. In this episode, we sit down with Full Race’s Geoff Raicer — someone who understands turbocharger and manifold development better than most and is more than happy to share what he’s learnt... plus a whole lot more.

Use RACE50 to get $50 off HPA’s 3D Modelling & CAD for Motorsport course:
https://hpcdmy.co/CADb

Full Race has been around for a long time and has always been known for building some of the best turbo manifolds and turbo kits available — primarily for the Honda, Mitsubishi, and Nissan markets. Geoff and Full Race were even instrumental in bringing Borg Warner’s line of EFR turbochargers to the aftermarket and yet, despite that successful history, you won’t find a single fabricated exhaust manifold for sale on Full Race’s shop these days — so what happened?

In this episode, we chart Geoff’s journey towards founding Full Race just as the modified import scene began to explode, how his business evolved through some challenging years, and what it’s morphed into today — a very different beast from its early days.

This is a fascinating story that saw Geoff and his team pivot in an interesting direction during the 2008 financial crisis, involving themselves directly with Borg Warner and later Ford in the development and testing of the 2.3 inline-four and 3.5 V6 EcoBoost engines years before the public saw them. This relationship has continued and we now see a completely different Full Race that puts the majority of its eggs in the Ford basket, pumping out some of the best Raptor 3.5-litre Ecoboost go-fast parts seen anywhere in the world.

This episode touches on a wide range of subjects that touches on a wide range of subjects — from the limitations faced by Geoff in the early days of turbocharging, to the secrets to building manifolds that don’t fail, to some seriously technical discussions around turbochargers, working with OEMs, the ins and outs of Ford’s EcoBoost 3.5 litre V6, plus a whole lot more.

Follow Geoff here:
IG: @fullracemotorsports
FB: Full-Race Motorsports
YT: Full-Race Motorsports
WWW: full-race.com

Don’t forget, you can use RACE50 to get $50 off HPA’s 3D Modelling & CAD for Motorsport course: https://hpcdmy.co/CADb

Time Stamps:
3:28 How did you get into cars?
6:43 Why were earlier turbo manifolds cracking and how did you fix them?
19:02 Supporting the turbo
22:55 Road to starting Full Race, building turbo manifolds
27:28 Why did you go down the road of robotic welding?
30:02 Where is Full Race at today, Ford Ecoboost?
33:51 What is turbo lag?
36:38 Twin scroll vs single scroll
40:40 Why do OE manufacturers still focus on the aftermarket?
50:23 Building relationship with Ford continued
56:02 OEM’s relationship with aftermarket and performance upgrades.
58:53 Weak points of the 3.5L V6 Ford Ecoboost engines
1:06:24 What does Full Race’s product line look like for the F150?
1:11:32 Challenges involved in casting products. Big upfront costs.
1:15:45 Why did you completely change Full Race’s direction to solely focus on the Ford Ecoboost platform?
1:19:24 What’s the difference between Gen2 and Gen3?
1:21:13 Are there any other trucks you’re looking to make kits for?
1:26:00 Where do you see turbo technology heading

Home Built EJ25 Swapped MiniRex: A Subaru-Powered, Mid-Engined Mini Masterpiece

Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in

We've seen our fair share of engine-swapped Minis, from Honda's B and K series to Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle engines, but this EJ25-powered Mini takes things to the next level. Steve from ‪@DutchysGarage‬ has crafted something truly unique: a 1961 Morris Mini transformed into a mid-engined, RWD beast, all thanks to the heart of a 2010 Subaru WRX EJ25.

This 'MiniRex' stole the show for us in the World Time Attack Challenge carpark, with Steve personally handling 99% of the build himself —impressive work, especially given Australia’s strict vehicle regulations, which was one of the reasons for using an older pre-1973 chassis. The impressive 1-man-band craftsmanship and road-legal engineering make this build a real standout, combining eye-catching aesthetics (who doesn't love a sunroof!) with serious performance potential.

Key Build Details:

• 1961 Morris Mini – Mid-engined, RWD conversion
• Subaru EJ25 engine: Essentially stock, producing 250hp and 400Nm of torque
• Haltech Elite 2500 ECU with an iC7 dash, sensors, and wiring harness
• Process West intercooler for added cooling performance
• 3.9 final drive ratio for optimal gearing and acceleration of the 15" wheels
• Mazda MX5/Miata suspension, hubs, and subframe integration
• Viking coil-overs
• Subaru inner CVs, custom axles, Mazda outer CVs
• 2003 BMW Mini panoramic sunroof – because style matters too!
• An unbelievable power-to-weight ratio, making this Mini a true sleeper

If you're into unconventional engine swaps and unique performance builds, this one is definitely for you. Watch as we dive into the details of this incredible Mini and why it’s got us so excited!

Base maps are one of the first hurdles in any tuning project, and while they often seem daunting at first, with hindsight and experience, they’re actually much simpler than we expect but some people become so overwhelmed they throw in the towel before having the chance to get that far.

Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in

To help car enthusiasts worldwide reduce stress and have a greater chance of easy success with their tuning projects, Haltech has developed a new app for their Rebel ECU range, specifically targeting the LS community (for now). This app, called Haltech Connect, offers a simple 7-step process to wire your V8-swapped project, get it running on a Haltech ECU, and even potentially driving with minimal further input (exceptions and common sense apply, of course).

• Why a phone app instead of the typical Windows OS software?
• What information is needed for the 7 steps, and where can you find it?
• Are system checks included to ensure everything is correct before firing up?
• With various LS engine variants, how is the wiring made universal?

All these questions and more are answered in this quick interview from the World Time Attack Challenge paddock.

What Haltech Connect can do:

• Connects via WiFi
• Android and iOS supported
• View and clear DTCs
• View data display functions and monitor engine parameters in real-time on your smartphone, tablet and, in some cases, head unit.
• Change basic settings and adjust basic engine parameters

What Haltech Connect can't do:

• Advanced tuning calibrations
• Freely access any and all functions and settings (although it should let you get to most!)
• Data logging

So who is the Haltech Connect app for?
Someone who just wants to get their basic LS swap project up and running with minimal fuss and isn't worried about getting all the power possible out of their LS V8 engine. From there, they have the option to pull out a laptop and dive deeper if they wish.

Who isn't the Haltech app for?
Those with highly modified engines using aggressive aftermarket cams and/or high boost applications, as well as those using race fuels or ethanol blends who want to make as much power (reliably!) as possible.
Basically, any setup that a 'self-tuning' function will be out of its depth on/dangerous 🤘